When I lived in Zambia as a child

Mafuta Font

"In tribal societies in Africa, where food was often scarce and almost never easily come by, it was considered desirable to appear "well fed". Roundness was a symbol of high status in the tribe, and a sign of wealth.

The up-beat, bold outline of the font celebrates the confidence of people who feel comfortable being who they are. The font manages to be both contemporary and African."

Below is a Wide Hem DesignTop Shirt - amazingly, it comes in 26 different colors

This Top Shirt is an Amazon Bestseller, currently No. 39 in clothing, with over 1,500 reviews

Amazon Best Seller June 2016

3 Things You Should Know About Big

Firstly, It's time to ditch Fatism - a Fatwa on Fatism! - that's what I say!

Secondly, contrary to what you see in magazines, statistics indicate that there are a lot of us about

And lastly, we're very cuddly

Have your Say - What do You Think About Clothes Shopping? - I think it's boring at best, depressing at worst -

I'm fed up with misleading adverts for large clothes on standard sized models - what I want to see before I buy something is what someone like me would look like in the advertised clothes. And I'm not talking about a size 16 - I would like to see a model size 24 or more. And on different shapes, from big breasts to wide waists and huge hips, short as well as tall. And fat clothes designed by fat designers..........Yeah, that's what I'd like.

Manufacturers seem to have forgotten we exist

Give us a Break!

It has taken me years to find Online Stores which sell really nice clothes in larger sizes. I can't understand why we are so poorly catered for - when you go into a big department store, if you are lucky you'll find a tiny section labelled 'Plus Sizes' stuck away in a corner and many don't cater for large sizes at all. Why don't all the big fashion houses cater for bigger clothes - Is it some kind of misguided back-to-front sensitivity that their clothes won't be flattered enough if they are adorned by large bodies? Why don't Tescos, Marks and Spencers, and Aldi's, to name but a few, cater for size 24 and above? Don't they realize that if the clothes were there, we'd buy them?

It's so hard to find nice clothes that shopping becomes boring and even downright unpleasant. Who wants to go shopping and end up disappointed? So we don't bother until we really need to, because it isn't fun.

Source

Obviously there are many styles which wouldn't suit people who have large busts, waists or bottoms, but surely it is not beyond the realms of possibility for de

And why do we have to have different and inferior fabrics from that which thin people have? Things which make you feel a pleb, or make you look unfashionable, boring patterns on skirts, mainly in dull colours. I have been looking for a full year to find a pretty summer skirt in an appropriate size and cut and a pattern which I really like in a bright summery colour. I still haven't found anything I feel is worth buying.

As for nightwear, who buys these things?

Stupid baby pictures and silly writing on nightclothes - I for one have never, ever wanted a nightdress with a teddy bear on it saying 'sweet dreams' or some other inane statement. Why can't they be sexy or sophisticated - Janet Reger rather than Walt Disney, grown-up rather than retarded.

"Darby" | Source

Most of the attractive lingerie that you find in the shops for small people would be equally snapped up in the right size by large people

Why do bras for big girls come mainly in black, white or beige and severe heavy duty fabric rather than pretty lace?

And why do most cover-up full size pants (knickers to you Americans) come in boring patterns or plain material? If I want something pretty and lacy, I don't want it in short briefs that hang round my hips, exposing my belly button and all my fat bits - I want something to cover the stretch marks and flibby flobby bits, in some delirious mauve lace stretching right up to my waist, with a mauve matching lacy bra. Can I get it? Rarely. Do the manufacturers think that might make me look too flighty, mutton dressed as lamb and all that? If they had their way, would I be dressed in white bloomers, to distinguish me from flibberty gibbets? It is now possible to buy a few lacy things, but not necessarily the best quality from the most well known lingerie makers. And if you want a set, they all seem to go in for tiny briefs and high legs rather than cover-up briefs. I cannot be alone in wanting pretty but appropriate underwear.

I'm too old to care so deeply these days, but I hope the generation that follows me is going to be better treated.

Links to some Good Plus Size Women's Clothes Stores - These are fashion stores I would use myself

I haven't bought things from all of them, but I have seen their catalogues or websites, or know them by reputation and feel comfortable recommending them.

Lower down the page you'll find stores selling comfortable shoes for wide feet. Their shoes are extra wide-fitting and and will save you having to wear shoes which hurt your feet.

Plus Size BeachwearThis is a HubPages webpage and has some lovely beachwear - I haven't tried it

EvansI get quite a lot of my clothes from them, reasonably priced, which is sometimes reflected in the quality of the fabric. Nonetheless, plenty of variety in styles, lots of low-cut briefs (one of my gripes!), and even wide fitting shoes.

Beige - Sizes 14 - 30These are upmarket, fairly pricy clothes. There are three stores in London, each specializing in a slightly different range of sizes. I have visited one of their stores and the plus size clothes are lovely.

This cotton and polyester top comes in several colors in plus size up to 3X

Links to Wide-Fitting Shoe Stores - Fed up with trying to squeeze problem feet into shoes which are too narrow?

Me too - I've been doing it for years, but not any more!

Wearing shoes which are too narrow causes a lot of pain and discomfort, and yet most of us do it. As well as actually causing problems by pushing toes out of alignment, squeezing wide feet into shoes which are too narrow also exacerbates pre-existing foot problems.

Wide Fit ShoesA shoe store online and in North West London which specializes in wide shoes for women and men, including large sizes as well as extra-wide fittings. They have a one-to-one in-store fitting service, and, on their website, they have a Measuring Page.

Hotter ShoesA good range of wide-fitting shoes, including E and EEE. Nice styles to suit a variety of fashion needs, and as I have bought several pairs from them, I can confirm that they are comfortable and of good quality.

And I've just read an interesting tip:

Curb Your Appetite Painlessly -

Apparently, if you eat a peach before a meal, it can reduce your appetite for up to four hours, because it contains pectin, a type of fibre - fibre helps to slow digestion, thereby keeping food in your stomach for longer. I haven't tried this, but I would clutch at any straw!

I will add more as I come across them (news items, not doughnuts).

More plus-size things to wear - Large Clothes

You don't have to worry about whether the clothes will fit you - just worry about choosing the right outfit, and whether you'll have fun and draw compliments when you wear them

Here's where you get to comment and leave your mark as you pass by - It's great to hear from people, even thin ones should have their say

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

Rhonda Albom

4 years agofrom New Zealand

Wonderful comprehensive list for big people. Sorry to read they called you mafuta when you were a kid. :(

Frischy

4 years agofrom Kentucky, USA

Trying to find nice plus-size clothes is quite a treasure hunt.

Avi Wolfson

5 years agofrom Massachusetts

Great lens! I like the photo of the cat with the beer bottle, lol. Looks identical to my cat who passed away several years ago.

anonymous

5 years ago

Why can't a jean manufacturer invent blue jeans which have stretchy material in the stomach area similar to maternity jeans. The tight bands around the waist aren't good for you; but sometimes you want the look of a nice jean. Just sayin...

I've been bothVery thin and Very Heavy. BOTH have their pros and cons.

Meryl van der Merwe

6 years agofrom USA

Found you when you added me on Google+. Love love love this lens. You are obviously a 'real' fun person as we say in the US

Joan Haines

7 years ago

You are hilarious. Thanks for saying it for those of us with some"flibby flobby bits." And what about those of us who are short? Plus size clothes seem to be for taller people only. Hhhmmmmph! (Thanks for the jelly doughnut. It was perfect.)

anonymous

7 years ago

Another great lens. I love your style and your sense of humor!!!

Linda Pogue

7 years agofrom Missouri

Thank you for such a great lens! I, too, have trouble buying clothes, so I wind up making most of them. See my Plus Size Sewing lens for more information. Thanks again, and thumbs up!

iandrzej lm

7 years ago

Good informative lens, good to know your interest about Plus-Size women... thanks for sharing.

Lisa Marie Gabriel

7 years agofrom United Kingdom

These days I work in jeans and t shirts and lounge in kaftans.... :D

clothingplussize

7 years ago

It might be hard to find plus size apparel for women but with the help of the world wide net, online shopping is possible.

norma-holt

7 years ago

Well, this fits my size as well. I have almost given up on shopping for clothes. Fashions that are more suited to a dummy than a live person, pants that hang so far down you can almost see your knee caps, bras that are wired like gates, and clothes that hardly last long enough to get them home before something goes on them. Having bought a new sewing machine I am having fun making my own and surprising myself with the quality, look and money saved as a result. I am back into the designing business for myself. Great lens

anonymous

7 years ago

Another great lens Diana, big women are beautiful, I know I am not a small woman and I think I look "Marvelous". Thanks for writing this.

anonymous

7 years ago

Wonderful lens! All the complaints are valid. Even though I was a skinny kid, as an adult, thanks to yo-yo dieting, I've been just about every size. Therefore, I know, having shopped for both, that the plus-size clothes are generally made of inferior materials or are just plain shoddy. Not true of regular sizes. There's a well-known brand of plus size clothing here in the U.S. that nearly all except the upscale stores seem to carry exclusively. They are inferior in every way. The fabric is cheap, the construction is poor, the styles--oh my!--unflattering and dowdy. And when you're ready to launder them the first time, you may as well save a step and just throw them away. That's what you'll do after they're washed anyway. Why do women need to be punished for being large? .Another thing that used to drive me crazy about plus size clothes--no matter what size or how many XXXs, they all seem to be made with size 8 sleeves! Thanks for expressing the feelings of so many women with this lens!

PrettyWorld

7 years ago

Great lens - I especially like the delightful ranting parts! :) Totally appropriate.

maatgirl

7 years ago

What a wonderful Lens! Entertaining,informative complete.There's a lot of time effort and research behind it.Good work!

I'm new and have yet to create a lens (I'm getting the feel of things and must learn the workings first).If mine turn out to be half as good as yours I'll be more than happy.Regards

poutine

7 years ago

I think that designers must hate women with curves as their clothes would fit a skeleton.

WonderBright

7 years ago

Many thanks for the Angel Blessing, and for promoting my page, Sexy, Retro Clothes for Curvy Grrls! I'm glad to find your page!

WonderBright

7 years ago

Many thanks for the Angel Blessing, and for promoting my page, Sexy, Retro Clothes for Curvy Grrls! I'm glad to find your page!

nebby

7 years agofrom USA

One of my peeves lately is that the clothes sizes have gotten smaller. No, I'm not joking, the clothing industry that decreased each size so that many more people would now have to fit into plus size clothing. Why would they do this you ask? Because although they can't get away with charging more for a size 14 then they can for a 12, then can charge more when the 14 is now called "plus size". Now that really bothers me.

Yes, in general a plus size garment does have more material than a size 2, but shrinking sizes just so they can charge more should be illegal ( but it's not).

Maybe they should charge more for size 0 clothes since it's harder to get your hands inside the garment when you are making it and it takes the seamstress a few seconds longer!

Moe Wood

7 years agofrom Eastern Ontario

Thanks for featuring my BBW Poll lens. You rock!

irenemaria

7 years agofrom Sweden

A big problem is also that if you are a woman with xxxsize clothes there are shoes for just tiny feet. Not fair.

jgelien

7 years ago

You say what I think. Loved your lens!

peteriannuzzi

7 years ago

nice

anonymous

8 years ago

@Gloriousconfusion: I don't think you can be an affiliate for squidoo, but you can for some of the partners - see the bottom line of this page.

AUTHOR

Diana Grant

8 years agofrom United Kingdom

@anonymous: I should be an affiliate, but don't know how!

AUTHOR

Diana Grant

8 years agofrom United Kingdom

@anonymous: And good looking!

anonymous

8 years ago

What a fantastic collection of information - like you said, some informative and some for entertainment. I too have trouble finding nice, big clothes, particularly since I also have very little money. I hate clothes shopping and prefer to buy online where possible. Keep up the good work!

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)

Google AdSense Host API

This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Facebook Login

You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Maven

This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)

We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.

Conversion Tracking Pixels

We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.

Statistics

Author Google Analytics

This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)

Comscore

ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)

Amazon Tracking Pixel

Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)